Expanded Special Project for Elimination Neglected Tropical Diseases

Soil-transmitted helminthiasis
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Soil-transmitted helminth infections affect the poorest and most deprived communities. They are transmitted by eggs present in human faeces which in turn contaminate soil in areas where sanitation is poor.

The main species that infect people are the roundworm (Ascaris lumbricoides), the whipworm (Trichuris trichiura) and the hookworms (Necator americanus and Ancylostoma duodenale).